Device for treating containers

ABSTRACT

A device for treating containers, for example, for filling and closing containers in filling plants is described. The device includes an isolator chamber in which the treatment of the containers takes place, and an outlet disposed beneath the isolator chamber for discharging fluids, wherein the outlet has a housing for receiving ejected containers and a suction device for extracting gases from the isolator chamber.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/579,919 filed Dec. 5, 2017, which is a U.S. National Stageapplication under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No.PCT/EP2016/076192, filed Oct. 31, 2016, which claims priority fromGerman Patent Application No. 10 2015 118 619.5 filed on Oct. 30, 2015,the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The present invention relates to a device for treating containers, forexample, for filling and closing containers in filling plants.

Related Art

Devices for treating containers, for example, for filling and closingcontainers in filling plants, are known from the state of the art. Inthe state of the art, containers, such as bottles or cans, are subjectto a treatment, for example, filling and/or closing.

During the operation of such devices, it sometimes occurs thatcontainers are not correctly filled, and need to be diverted from thepath of the containers. This is particularly the case when cans areprocessed; incorrectly filled cans must be diverted before they reachthe closing device, since can closers are unable to process empty oronly slightly filled cans. In cleanroom fillers, however, in which thefilling is carried out in an isolator chamber in a cleanroom atmosphere,in particular in the case of dry aseptic systems, the containers are notremoved until after the isolator chamber. It is not possible to divertthem in the isolator chamber because there is not enough space in thechamber for the containers that need to be diverted. This poses therisk, among others, that diverted containers will come into contact withmoving parts of the filler and adversely affect the filling of othercontainers.

Nor is it possible to remove the containers from the isolator chamberduring operation, since if a removal aperture in the isolator chamberwere opened in order to eject a diverted container from the isolatorchamber, as shown for example in DE 10 2008 020 121 A1, the positivepressure in the interior of the isolator chamber would be lost and theplant would become unsterile.

Furthermore, when containers are closed with a container lid, inparticular when cans are closed, the lids are often treated with gas inorder to reduce or remove the oxygen in the head space. In this case theunderside of the lid is gassed, prior to the actual closing process,with a treatment gas, usually carbon dioxide (hereinafter referred to asCO₂). As a result of the gassing of the lid, the surroundings of the gastreatment device are enriched with the excess CO₂ that remains in thecloser following the closing process. In order to avoid exceeding themaximum admissible workplace concentration (MAC) of the treatment gas inthe area surrounding the closer, or in the production hall, a suctionextractor is installed at the outlet of the closer, above the containerpath via which the containers are conveyed out of the closer after beingclosed. By means of the suction extractor, the CO₂ gas is sucked awayand led out of the production hall.

Because CO₂ has a greater molar mass than oxygen and nitrogen, a portionof the CO₂ molecules sink downwards due to the effect of gravity, andform a pool of CO₂ on the table top of the enclosed closing device. TheCO₂ escapes via drainage apertures of the table top, which are providedfor the drainage of overspills of product, foam, water and cleaningmedium, into the surroundings of the closer. Thus the suction extractorat the outlet of the closer cannot ensure that the MAC value for CO₂ isnever exceeded. Furthermore, product aerosols can also be sucked in viathe upwards suction, and can be deposited in the lines and the pump unitof the suction extractor, which can result over time in the formation ofbiofilms in the lines. The upwards suction extractor is, however, notincluded in the components of the device that are cleaned during acleaning procedure, and it is thus not possible to prevent the formationof a biofilm in the suction extractor, and the associated contaminationof the closing device.

A combination of the problems described above often occurs in suchdevices, wherein improvement of the device to counteract one of theproblems brings about a worsening of the other current problems.

SUMMARY

An improved device for treating containers, which in particular enablesimproved workplace safety, is described.

A device for treating containers is described that includes an isolatorchamber, in which the treatment of the containers takes place, and atleast one outlet connected with the floor of the isolator chamber fordischarging fluids. A suction device for extracting gases from theisolator chamber is connected with the at least one outlet.

Due to the provision of the isolator chamber, in which the treatment ofthe containers by at least one treatment unit takes place, a hygienelevel that is defined in contrast to the surroundings, i.e. increased,can be created, and the hygiene requirements of the applicable plant canbe met. Within the isolator, a cleanroom is generally provided, inparticular a sterile environment and in several embodiments, an asepticenvironment. The device can be designed for example as an asepticdevice, and in the isolator chamber a defined cleanroom atmosphere canbe provided in a known manner. The isolator chamber can, however, alsobe designed to meet a less exacting hygiene standard.

By means of the outlet on the underside of the isolator chamber, fluidscan be discharged from the isolator chamber by the effect of gravity,without the atmosphere within the isolator chamber being contaminated bygerms from outside the isolator chamber. In particular during a cleaningof the interior of the isolator chamber, the cleaning medium that isused for the cleaning can be discharged through the outlet.

Due to the fact that a suction device for extracting gases from theisolator chamber is connected with the outlet, the manufacturing costsof the device can be reduced by comparison with conventional devices,since no separate unit is needed for connecting the suction device withthe isolator chamber. In particular, during the operation of the device,the suction device can extract via the outlet a gaseous treatment mediumthat is used for the treatment of the containers. This arrangement isparticularly advantageous when CO₂ is used as the treatment medium. Dueto its molecular mass, CO₂ accumulates on the floor of the isolatorchamber, and can thus be particularly efficiently extracted via theoutlet disposed in the floor of the isolator chamber by means of thesuction device connected with the outlet.

Furthermore, by means of the common use of the outlet for removing notonly fluids, in particular cleaning media, but also treatment gases suchas in particular CO₂, an efficient and hygienically advantageous designof the device is achieved, since it is possible to dispense withadditional apertures for extracting by suction the treatment gas, inparticular CO₂, or treatment gases.

The floor of the isolator chamber is, in various embodiments, designedsuch that fluids within the isolator chamber, in particular fluidcleaning media, can be discharged by the effect of gravity into theoutlet during the cleaning of the device. For this purpose, the outletcan be disposed at the deepest point of the housing floor. The floor ofthe isolator chamber is thus typically inclined in a funnel shapetowards the outlet.

In some embodiments, a device for treating cleaning medium, for examplea cleaning-in-place (CIP) system, is disposed downstream of the outlet.By this means the cleaning medium that is used for the cleaning can betreated, and water consumption can thereby be minimized. It can beparticularly advantageous if the outlet and the device for treatingcleaning medium are suitable for the CIP method. By this means it ispossible to carry out the cleaning of components disposed within theisolator chamber without their disassembly, and by circulation of thecleaning medium and/or sterilization medium.

If the outlet has an outlet valve downstream of the connection of thesuction device, for closing the outlet during the intervals betweencleaning of the device, it can be ensured that no germs penetrate intothe sterile area of the outlet and the isolator chamber duringoperation. By this means, particularly long treatment cycles can beachieved before renewed cleaning and/or sterilization is necessary forthe interior of the isolator chamber and the at least one treatment unitthat is disposed within. In addition, by means of the closing of theoutlet valve, the level of the cleaning medium in the isolator chambercan be adjusted, so that cleaning medium that is accumulated by thismeans can act at least on relevant components, or can act on the entiretreatment unit. Advantageously, the suction device is also cleaned inthis manner, at least in part, since it is at least in part disposedbelow the isolator chamber or the level of the cleaning medium.

An outlet valve for establishing or blocking communication between theoutlet and the suction device is generally disposed between the suctiondevice and the outlet. By closing the outlet valve, the suction devicecan be decoupled from the outlet, so that, for example, while the deviceis being cleaned no cleaning medium can enter the suction device, or atleast the components of the suction device that are disposed downstreamof the outlet valve.

For the specific discharge of fluids, in particular treatment fluids andcleaning media, by the effect of gravity, a suction line of the suctiondevice can have a gradient in the direction of the connection to theoutlet.

In some embodiments, a moisture separator for separating moisture at thesuction device is disposed on the outlet, for example, adjacent to aconnection of a suction line of the suction device. By means of this,any aerosols or fluid particles that are present in the gases that aresucked out by the suction device can be separated, so thatmoisture-sensitive components of the suction device remain dry. By thismeans it can be also be avoided that, due to moisture, a biofilm formsin the suction device downstream of the moisture separator, andcontaminates the atmosphere in the isolator chamber.

For efficient extraction by suction of gases from the isolator chamber,the suction device can have an extraction fan. The extraction fan istypically provided with a valve, so that when the extraction fan is notin motion its outlet aperture can be closed.

In several embodiments, the outlet has a pump for pumping out cleaningmedium. By this means the fluid that is to be discharged can beparticularly effectively discharged and/or conveyed to componentsdisposed behind.

In one embodiment, a closer with lid gassing for closing the containersis disposed in the isolator chamber. Because of the closer's location inthe isolator chamber, and its design in the form of an isolator, thedrainage of the closer can take place via the outlet of the isolatorchamber. In addition, the treatment gas, for example, CO₂, that is usedfor the lid gassing, can be extracted in a controlled manner by suctionvia the outlet and the suction device, and does not enter theenvironment external to the device. A filler is typically also disposedin the isolator chamber. The filled containers can thereby betransferred directly to the closer. In addition, only a single outlet isprovided for both the filler and the closer, via which the treatment gasfrom the closer can also be extracted by means of the suction device.

In certain embodiments, the isolator chamber is divided into at leasttwo treatment isolator chambers or isolator chamber segments, whereinfor example, each of the treatment isolator chambers or isolator chambersegments is connected with the outlet via a connecting line. A treatmentdevice is generally disposed in one treatment isolator chamber. By thismeans an individual treatment step, or its treatment device, can beseparated from a further treatment step, and the sterility in theindividual treatment isolator chambers, and thus of the device as awhole, can thereby be increased.

In this case it is also possible for the suction line to be in contactwith only one of the connecting lines, in order to achieve theextraction of gases by suction from only one chamber among the treatmentisolator chambers or isolator chamber segments. Depending on the designsof the devices for treating the containers, extraction of gases may benecessary in only one of the chambers. If lid gassing takes place in acloser, it may for example be necessary to provide suction extractiononly in the chamber which includes the closer, and not in the otherchambers.

In an alternative embodiment, it is also possible to provide at leasttwo separate isolator chambers, which are connected with each other viaa transport channel. By means of such an arrangement it can be ensuredthat any excess CO₂ cannot pass from one isolator chamber to the other.

In addition, a device for treating containers is described that includesan isolator chamber in which the treatment of the containers takesplace, and an outlet connected with the floor of the isolator chamberfor discharging fluids. The outlet has a housing for receiving ejectedcontainers. The housing includes at least one inlet aperture disposed onthe upper face of the housing which communicates with the isolatorchamber, an outlet aperture disposed in the lower area of the housingfor discharging fluid, a container guide disposed in the housing atleast between the inlet aperture and the outlet aperture, and a removalaperture which can be closed.

Due to the fact that the outlet has a housing for receiving ejectedcontainers, wherein the housing has at least one inlet aperture disposedon the upper face of the housing which communicates with the isolatorchamber, and includes an outlet aperture disposed in the lower area ofthe housing for discharging fluid, a container guide disposed in thehousing at least between the inlet aperture and the outlet aperture, anda removal aperture which can be closed, ejected containers can becollected in the housing, so that opening the system can be avoided,which thereby avoids an associated contamination of the cleanroomatmosphere within the isolator chamber and/or an associated loss of thepositive pressure in the isolator chamber. Accordingly, the operatingtime of the device between two cleaning cycles can be extended,resulting in increased productivity for the device as compared with theprior art. The housing can thus be used as a collecting receptacle forcollecting ejected containers.

The floor of the isolator chamber is generally designed such that fluidsinside the isolator chamber, in particular fluid cleaning media, can bedischarged by the effect of gravity into the outlet during the cleaningof the device. For this purpose, the outlet can be disposed at thedeepest point of the housing floor. The floor of the isolator chamber isthus typically inclined in a funnel shape towards the outlet.

In addition, the isolator chamber itself can have a particularly smalldesign, since no space needs to be provided within for storing ejectedcontainers. Thus the isolator chamber can be designed to approachclosely the contours of the at least one treatment unit that is disposedin the isolator chamber.

In this case the suction device can issue both into the outletdownstream of the outlet aperture of the housing and directly into thehousing.

In an isolator chamber that is divided into a plurality of treatmentisolator chambers or isolator chamber segments, or if a plurality ofindividual isolator chambers are provided, the outlet can also have morethan one housing. The outlet, in one or more embodiments, has a housingfor a majority of, or each of, the treatment isolator chambers.

In one embodiment, the housing is integrated with the isolator chamber.By this means the isolator chamber can have a particularly compact andsimple design, and is additionally easy to clean.

Alternatively, the housing can be designed to be exchangeable, whereinthe housing is generally connected with the isolator chamber via anairlock. By this means, when a housing is almost completely full ofcontainers, it can be exchanged, after the airlock is closed, foranother container which is not full, without contaminating theatmosphere within the isolator chamber.

It can be particularly advantageous if the container guide is designedas a perforated metal plate, or in the form of a plurality of rods. Bythis means the ejected containers are reliably guided in the directionof the removal aperture. Additionally, the container guide is easy toclean, since fluid that enters the housing can be discharged due to theopen portions of the container guide. There is also almost no hindranceto the extraction by suction of gases that need to be extracted.

In several embodiments, the container guide has an incline in thedirection of the removal aperture. By this means, when containers thatfall through the inlet aperture meet the container guide, they areguided under their own weight in the direction of the removal apertureby the effect of gravity.

The inlet aperture on the upper face is typically disposed on a firstside of the housing, and the removal aperture is on a side of thehousing that is opposite the first side. By this means a largecollecting area can be provided for ejected containers. Furthermore, bythis means the containers are guided away from the area beneath theinlet aperture, so that blocking of the inlet aperture is avoided aslong as the collecting area is not completely full. By means of thisarrangement, it is also possible to remove containers on what could bereferred to as the “operator's side” of the plant, while the actualejection of containers can take place on the opposite side.

Particularly effective discharge of fluids can be achieved if a floor ofthe housing has an incline in the direction of the outlet aperture.Fluids to be discharged thereby flow automatically to the outletaperture by the effect of gravity.

Generally, the incline of the container guide and the incline of thefloor are formed in opposite directions from each other, wherein theremoval aperture and the outlet aperture are typically disposed onopposite sides of the housing.

In various embodiments, the inlet aperture has an inlet closing devicefor interrupting, at least temporarily, the communication with theisolator chamber. By this means the interior of the isolator chamber canbe closed off from the interior of the housing, for example because thehousing is completely full of ejected containers, so that the atmospherewithin the isolator chamber is not impaired when the removal aperture isopened, in particular because an exchange of gas between thesurroundings and the isolator chamber can be prevented by this means.This also prevents germs or other contamination from entering theisolator chamber, so that when the housing is opened it is possible toavoid breaching the sterile environment in the isolator chamber.

Alternatively, the inlet closing device can close only part of thecross-section of the inlet aperture, which it thereby merely reduces, sothat when the removal aperture is opened a flow of gas that is reducedby comparison with a fully open inlet aperture enters through the inletaperture, due to the positive pressure in the isolator chamber bycomparison with the surroundings of the device. By this means it ispossible to maintain for a longer period the positive pressure in theisolator chamber, and thereby the, in some embodiments, sterilecleanroom atmosphere within the isolator chamber. At the same time,there is a constant flow of air through the remaining opening in theinlet aperture from the isolator chamber, which is charged with apositive pressure, in the direction of the removal aperture, so that noair can penetrate from the surroundings into the housing. Accordingly,during and/or following a removal of the ejected containers, thesterility of the atmosphere within the isolator chamber can, at leastfor the most part, be maintained. Thus it is not necessary to interruptthe operation of the device for cleaning purposes after a removal of theejected containers, or at least no renewed sterilization of the plantneeds to be carried out after the opening.

Furthermore, a device for treating containers, for example, for fillingand closing containers in filling plants, is described that includes anisolator chamber in which the treatment of the containers takes place,and an outlet connected with the floor of the isolator chamber fordischarging fluids. The outlet has a housing in accordance with one ofthe above-mentioned embodiments, and a suction device in accordance withone of the above-mentioned embodiments.

Because a suction device is provided on the outlet, the production costsof the device can be reduced by comparison with conventional devices,since the suction device needs no connecting unit of its own forconnecting with the isolator chamber. In particular, during theoperation of the device the suction device can extract a gaseoustreatment medium that is used for the treatment of the containers. Thisarrangement is particularly advantageous when CO₂ is used as thetreatment medium. Because the CO₂ has a greater molecular mass than, forexample, oxygen and nitrogen, the gas collects on the floor of theisolator chamber, and can thus be particularly efficiently extracted bysuction, without contamination of the interior of the isolator chamber,via the outlet disposed on the underside of the isolator chamber, bymeans of the suction device which is in communication with the outlet.

By means of the provision of the housing, ejected containers can becollected in the housing, so that it is possible to avoid a separateremoval aperture with an associated contamination of the cleanroomatmosphere within the isolator chamber, and/or an associated loss of thepositive pressure in the isolator chamber. Accordingly, the device canbe operated for longer periods between cleaning cycles, which results inincreased productivity of the device by comparison with the prior art.The housing can thus serve as a collecting receptacle for collectingejected containers.

Furthermore, only one aperture in the isolator chamber is necessary forthe extraction by suction of gaseous treatment media and for thedischarge of fluids, for example sterilization fluid, cleaning mediumand/or the filling fluid with which the containers are to be filled.Because of this, the device can be easily assembled and is easy toclean.

In addition, after the opening of the container removal aperture, thehousing can thereby still be a so-called “gray room”, since due to thesuction a constant flow of gas and/or flow of air is created, out of theisolator chamber, through the housing, into the outlet aperture and tothe suction device, and thus no germs can penetrate into the interior ofthe isolator chamber. Accordingly, an operating cycle of the device canagain be extended, which again leads to an increase in the productivityof the device.

In one embodiment, a filler for filling the containers and a closer withlid gassing for closing the filled containers are disposed within theisolator. It is thereby possible, firstly, for the incorrectly filledand ejected containers to be collected in the housing, Secondly, thetreatment gas used for lid gassing, for example CO₂, can be extracted bymeans of the suction device. This results in a particularly simpledesign of the device, since only one outlet and one suction extractorneed to be provided. In addition, it is possible to prevent thetreatment gas from contaminating the environment in which the device islocated, for example a production hall, or accumulating in the environsof the device and causing the maximum admissible workplace concentrationto be exceeded.

A particularly efficient and cost-effective design can be achieved ifthe filler and the closer are disposed together in the isolator chamber.

In an alternative embodiment, the isolator chamber is divided into afiller chamber for accommodating the filler and a closer chamber foraccommodating the closer. The closer chamber and the filler chambertypically each have a separate suction line to the outlet. By this meansthe atmosphere in the filler chamber and the atmosphere in the closerchamber are substantially or entirely independent of each other.

Alternatively, the closer chamber can also be connected with the fillerchamber, so that only one connection needs to be provided.

In one embodiment, a preform blowing device for stretch blow moldingplastic preforms is provided upstream of the filler on the containerpath. In this case the floor of the isolator chamber is generally formedsuch that faulty or incorrectly treated preforms—prior to and followingthe stretch blow molding—can also enter the housing through the inletaperture. By this means the above-mentioned advantages can be extendedto the area of the preform blowing device.

Downstream of a device consisting of a preform blowing device and/orfiller and/or closer, a device for marking the containers, for examplewith labels, or printing devices, can be disposed. After closing, thecontainers are typically dried by a device before they reach the devicefor marking them. The device for marking can be constructed in a singleblock with the device, or these can be provided in neighboring blocks.

In several embodiments, more than one housing is provided, wherein theoutlet is connected with the outlet aperture of more than one, andtypically every housing. By this means, if there is a plurality oftreatment units within the isolator chamber, it is possible to provide ahousing whose size and hence capacity is adapted to each treatment unit.In particular, an individual housing for receiving ejected containerscan be provided for each of the filler, the closer and the preformblowing device. Alternatively, a separate hosing can be provided forindividual treatment units only, wherein the remaining treatment unitsshare another housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Further embodiments of the invention are more fully explained by thedescription below of the figures.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation of a device for filling and closingcontainers, with an outlet which has a suction device;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side elevation of a device for filling and closingcontainers, with an outlet which has a suction device and two housingsfor receiving ejected containers;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective side elevation of a housing forreceiving ejected containers according to FIG. 2 ; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective partially sectional view through thehousing from FIG. 3 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Examples of embodiments are described below with the aid of the figures.In the figures, elements which are identical or similar, or haveidentical effects, are designated with identical reference signs, and inorder to avoid redundancy repeated description of these elements is inpart dispensed with.

FIG. 1 shows schematically a side elevation of a device 1 for fillingand closing containers, with an outlet 2 which has a suction device 3.In the present case, the filling and closing of, for example, cans takesplace in the device 1. The device 1 has an isolator chamber 10, whichprovides a space sealed off from the surroundings.

The device 1 can be designed, for example, as an aseptic device, and adefined cleanroom atmosphere can be provided in a known manner in theisolator chamber 10. The isolator chamber 10 can however also bedesigned to meet a less exacting standard of hygiene.

In this embodiment, the isolator chamber 10 is divided into a fillerchamber 50 and a closer chamber 60, which are connected with each othervia a connecting airlock. In an alternative embodiment, it is alsopossible to provide two separate isolator chambers, which are connectedwith each other via a transport channel.

A filler 5 for filling containers is disposed in the filler chamber 50.In the closer chamber 60, a closer 6 with lid gassing is provided forclosing the containers that have been filled in the filler 5. CO₂ isused as the treatment gas for lid gassing. However, other treatmentgases, for example nitrogen, can also be used.

Accordingly, not only the filler 5 but also the closer 6 is accommodatedin an isolator chamber 10.

An outlet 2 is disposed beneath the isolator chamber 10. The outlet 2has connecting lines 48 which open into the floor areas of both thefiller chamber 50 and the closer chamber 60, and are thereby incommunication with the interior of the isolator chamber 10. By thismeans, fluids that reach the floor of the isolator chamber 10 aredischarged through the outlet 2 and the connecting lines 48 by theeffect of gravity. The floor of each isolator chamber 10 is typicallyformed such that the separate floor areas are inclined in a funnel shapetowards the outlet, and in particular towards the mouth of theconnecting line 48, so that all fluids flow into the outlet 2.

The outlet 2 is also in communication with a suction device 3 forextracting gases from the isolator chamber 10. For this purpose, theconnecting lines 48 are connected with a suction line 32. A moistureseparator 12 for separating moisture at the suction device 3 is disposedon the outlet 2, for example, adjacent to a connection of the suctionline 32 of the suction device 3. The gases are sucked by means of anextraction fan 30 into the suction device 3, and discharged via anexhaust air device 34 into an external atmosphere outside a productionhall in which the device 1 is installed. The suction line 32 can also bein communication with only one of the connecting lines 48, in order toachieve the extraction by suction of gases from only one chamber of theisolator chamber 10. Depending on the design of the devices for treatingthe containers, extraction of gases may be necessary in only one of thechambers. If lids are treated with gas in a closer, it may for exampleonly be necessary to provide suction extraction for the chamber thatincludes the closer, and not the other chamber.

The lines of the outlet 2 and the lines of the suction device 3 are bothconstructed with a gradient G, so that fluids which enter either of thelines are conveyed away under their own weight, due to the effect ofgravity, and do not remain in the lines. The gradient is indicated inFIG. 1 by right-angled triangles designated with the letter G. Thedirection of the gradient G is shown in FIG. 1 by the inclination of thehypotenuse of each right-angled triangle.

A device for treating cleaning medium 11 is disposed downstream of theoutlet 2, and the cleaning medium that is extracted via the outlet istransported by means of a pump 20 to this device 11. Here, the cleaningmedium that was used for cleaning the device 1, and was extracted bymeans of the outlet 2, is treated. Thus there is a closed cycle ofcleaning medium in the cleaning of the device 1, and by this means it ispossible to save water and cleaning medium. Such a cleaning device 11 isin itself known.

In order to enable the outlet 2 to be closed in the intervals betweencleaning procedures, and thus prevent contamination of the atmospherewithin the isolator chamber 10 by germs originating from the outlet 2,the outlet 2 can be closed by an outlet valve 22.

The outlet valve 22 can also be used during a cleaning of the device 1to prevent the outflow of the cleaning medium that is introduced intothe device 1, so that the cleaning medium accumulates up to a specifiedlevel in the isolator chamber 10. In this manner the cleaning medium canalso reach portions of the suction line 32 that are above its point ofconnection with the connecting lines 48, and the suction device 3 canthereby by flooded with the cleaning medium, at least partially and/orto the extent necessary, in order to clean it. Furthermore, a specifiedexposure time can be achieved for the components of the device that arebelow the level of the cleaning medium. After the outlet valve 22 isreopened, the accumulated cleaning medium can again be discharged and/ortreated.

During the operation of the device 1, the containers that are to befilled are conveyed through the device along the container path B. Thecontainers to be filled pass through the entry airlock into the fillerchamber 50, in which they are filled with a filling product and conveyedonwards through the connecting airlock into the closer chamber 60 and tothe closer 6. The closer 6 closes the filled containers, wherein agassing with CO₂ takes place in order to rinse the container lids. Afterclosing, the closed containers are conveyed along the container path Bout of the device, through an exit airlock of the isolator chamber 10.

Because of the molecular mass of CO₂, the CO₂ accumulates on the floorof the closer chamber 60 due to the effect of gravity during theoperation of the closer 6, and forms a pool of CO₂ on the floor. Becausethe outlet 2 is not impinged with cleaning medium during fillingoperation of the device 1, the suction device 3 can extract, via theoutlet 2, the CO₂ that accumulates in the floor area of the closer.Because the outlet 2 is disposed beneath the isolator chamber 10, andthe suction device 3 is formed as part of the outlet 2, particularlyeffective discharge of the CO₂ molecules is achieved.

Furthermore, by means of the common use of the outlet 2 for removing notonly fluids, in particular cleaning media, but also CO₂, an efficientand hygienically advantageous design of the device 1 is achieved, sinceit is possible to dispense with additional apertures for extracting theCO₂ by suction.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic side elevation of a further device 1 forfilling and closing containers.

The design and operation, together with the cleaning procedure, of thedevice 1 correspond to those of the device in FIG. 1 . Thus the device 1in FIG. 2 also has an isolator chamber 10 divided into a filler chamber50 and a closer chamber 60. In the filler chamber 50, a filler 5 forfilling containers is disposed, and in the closer chamber 60 a closer 6with lid gassing for the subsequent closing of the filled containers isdisposed. Beneath the isolator 10 is again disposed an outlet 2 fordischarging fluids, on which is again disposed a suction device 3corresponding to that of FIG. 1 , along with an outlet valve 22 and apump 20 for conveying the extracted cleaning medium to a device fortreating the cleaning medium.

In this example embodiment, however, the outlet 2 includes two housings4 for receiving ejected containers.

In contrast to the device 1 from FIG. 1 , the undersides of the fillerchamber 50 and the closer chamber 60 of the device 1 in FIG. 2 eachissue into a housing 4 for receiving ejected containers, which in turnissues in each case via an outlet aperture 42 into a connecting line 48of the outlet 2. For communication with the isolator chamber 10, eachhousing 4 has an inlet aperture 41. The housings 4 are thereby connectedwith the isolator chamber 10 in a gas-tight manner. The housings 4accordingly form part of the outlet 2.

During operation of the device 1, containers that are incorrectly filledin the filler 5 are ejected by an ejection device into the housing 4that is beneath the filler chamber 50. The ejected containers therebypass through the inlet aperture 41 into the housing 4, and are collectedwithin. The housing 4 thus also serves as a collecting receptacle forejected containers.

In a similar manner, faulty containers, for example incorrectly closedcontainers, are ejected from the closer 6, by means of a furtherejection device disposed on the closer, into the housing 4 that isbeneath the closer chamber 60. The ejected containers thereby passthrough the inlet aperture 41 into the housing 4, and are collectedwithin.

The housings 4 are generally designed to collect a plurality ofcontainers. In addition, the sizes of the housings 4 can be adapted,such that if, for example, during the operation of the device 1, morecontainers are generally ejected during the filling part of an operatingcycle than during the closing of the filled containers, the housing 4beneath the filler 5 is designed to be larger, and therefore has agreater capacity for accommodating containers, than the housing 4beneath the closer 6.

Because the housings 4 are connected with the suction device 3 via theoutlet 2, gases in the isolator chamber 10, in particular the treatmentgas CO₂ that accumulates in the closer chamber 60 as the pool C of CO₂,can be sucked out during the operation of the device 1 and dischargedinto the external atmosphere. This has already been described inconnection with FIG. 1 .

FIG. 2 shows two housings 4. In a device 1 in which only a singleejection device is provided to eject faulty containers, it is of coursealso possible to provide only a single housing 4—for example beneath thecloser 6.

FIG. 3 shows schematically a perspective side elevation of a housing 4for receiving ejected containers according to FIG. 2 . On the upper face40 of the housing 4 is disposed the inlet aperture 41, by means of whichthe housing 4 communicates with the isolator chamber. Through the inletaperture 41, discharged fluids, gases extracted by suction, and ejectedcontainers enter the interior of the housing 4, inside which a containerguide 43 in the form of a perforated metal plate is disposed. Thecontainer guide 43 has the task of guiding ejected containers in thedirection of a removal aperture 44. The removal aperture 44 is shownhere in an airtightly closed state. To remove the containers that havecollected in the housing 4, the removal aperture 44 can be temporarilyopened.

FIG. 4 shows schematically a perspective, partially sectional viewthrough the housing 4 from FIG. 3 . The container guide 43 divides theinterior of the housing 4 into a collecting area 45 and a lower area 47.In the collecting area 45, the containers that enter through the inletaperture 41 are collected. In the lower area 47, the outlet aperture 42,which discharges into the connecting line 48 of the outlet 2, isdisposed. The container guide 43 has an incline from the inlet aperture41 in the direction of the removal aperture 44. By this means, whencontainers that fall through the inlet aperture 41 meet the containerguide 43, they are guided under their own weight in the direction of theremoval aperture 44 due to the effect of gravity. Because the inletaperture 41 on the upper face 40 is disposed on a first side of thehousing 4, and the removal aperture 44 is on a side of the housing 4that is opposite the first side, a large collecting area can be providedfor the containers. Furthermore, the containers are guided away from thearea below the inlet aperture 41, so that blocking of the inlet aperture41 is avoided as long as the collecting area 45 is not completely full.

Fluids that enter through the inlet aperture 41 can reach the lower area47 through the perforations in the container guide 43. There they meetthe floor 46 of the housing 4 due to the effect of gravity. The floor 46has an incline in the direction of the outlet aperture 42, so thatfluids that meet the floor 46 are guided into the outlet aperture 42 dueto the effect of gravity. Advantageously, the incline of the containerguide 43 and the incline of the housing floor 46 are formed in oppositedirections from each other. By this means an effective separation offluids and containers is achieved.

Furthermore, gases that enter the housing 4 through the inlet aperture41 can pass through the perforations in the container guide 43 and beextracted by suction through the outlet aperture 42.

The inlet aperture 41 can further be closable by means of an inletclosing device, generally in the form of a slatted ventilation grille(which is not shown). By means of the inlet closing device, while thehousing 4 is open via the removal aperture 44 the interior of thehousing 4 can be fully or partially closed off from the isolator chamber10, in order that an exchange of gas between the surroundings and theinterior of the isolator chamber 10 can be prevented. It is therebypossible to open the housing 4 without, for example, breaching thesterile environment in the isolator chamber 10.

Alternatively, the housing 4 can also be connected with the isolatorchamber 10 of device from FIG. 2 via an airlock, so that, by closing theairlock, a housing 4 which is almost completely full of containers canbe exchanged for another container with an empty collecting area,without contaminating the atmosphere within the isolator chamber 10.

To the extent applicable, all individual features described in theexample embodiments can be combined with each other and/or exchanged,without departing from the field of the invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A device for treating containers,comprising: an isolator chamber where treatment of the containers takesplace; an outlet configured to discharge fluids and connected to a floorof the isolator chamber; a suction device configured to extract gasesfrom the isolator chamber and connected to the outlet; acleaning-in-place system configured to recycle a cleaning medium, cleanthe isolator chamber with the cleaning medium and circulate the cleaningmedium, wherein the cleaning-in-place system is disposed downstream ofthe outlet in a direction of flow of the cleaning medium; a closerconfigured to close the containers in the isolator chamber; and a fillerconfigured to fill the containers in the isolator chamber; wherein: theoutlet comprises (1) an outlet valve disposed downstream of theconnection of the suction device to the outlet in the direction of flowof the cleaning medium (2) a pump disposed downstream of the outletvalve and configured to pump out the cleaning medium and (3) connectinglines extending from below the floor of the isolator chamber towards theoutlet valve, the outlet valve is configured to close the outlet duringintervals between cleanings of the isolator chamber, the isolatorchamber is divided into a filler chamber to accommodate the filler and acloser chamber to accommodate the closer, and wherein the connectinglines comprise a connecting line extending from below a floor of each ofthe filler chamber and the closer chamber.
 2. The device of claim 1,wherein the suction device comprises a suction line.
 3. The device ofclaim 2, further comprising a moisture separator configured to separatemoisture at the suction device, wherein the moisture separator isdisposed on the outlet.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the suctiondevice comprises an extraction fan.
 5. The device of claim 1, furthercomprising a preform blowing device configured to stretch blow moldplastic preforms.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the suction deviceand the outlet valve are disposed on different lines.
 7. A device fortreating containers, comprising: an isolator chamber where treatment ofthe containers takes place; an outlet configured to discharge fluids andconnected to a floor of the isolator chamber; a suction deviceconfigured to extract gases from the isolator chamber and connected tothe outlet; a cleaning-in-place system configured to recycle a cleaningmedium, clean the isolator chamber with the cleaning medium andcirculate the cleaning medium, wherein the cleaning-in-place system isdisposed downstream of the outlet in a direction of flow of the cleaningmedium; a closer configured to close the containers in the isolatorchamber; and a filler configured to fill the containers in the isolatorchamber, wherein: the outlet comprises (1) an outlet valve disposeddownstream of the connection of the suction device to the outlet in thedirection of flow of the cleaning medium, (2) a pump disposed downstreamof the outlet valve and configured to pump out the cleaning medium, and(3) connecting lines extending from below the floor of the isolatorchamber towards the outlet valve, by closing the outlet valve, a levelof the cleaning medium in the isolator chamber is adjusted, the outletvalve is configured to close the outlet during intervals betweencleanings of the isolator chamber, the isolator chamber is divided intoa filler chamber to accommodate the filler and a closer chamber toaccommodate the closer, and wherein the connecting lines comprise aconnecting line extending from below a floor of each of the fillerchamber and the closer chamber.
 8. The device of claim 7, wherein theoutlet comprises a housing configured to receive ejected containers. 9.The device of claim 8, wherein the housing is integrated with theisolator chamber.
 10. The device of claim 8, wherein the housingcomprises: an inlet aperture disposed on an upper face of the housingthat communicates with the isolator chamber, an outlet aperture disposedin a lower area of the housing configured to discharge fluid, acontainer guide disposed in the housing at least between the inletaperture and the outlet aperture, and a removal aperture configured tobe opened or closed.
 11. The device of claim 10, wherein the containerguide comprises a perforated metal plate or a plurality of rods.
 12. Thedevice of claim 10, wherein the container guide and/or a floor of thehousing is inclined relative to a vertical axis of the housing.
 13. Thedevice of claim 10, wherein the inlet aperture comprises an inletclosing device configured to interrupt communication between the housingand the isolator chamber.
 14. The device of claim 7, further comprisinga preform blowing device configured to stretch blow mold plasticpreforms.
 15. The device of claim 7, wherein the suction devicecomprises a suction line.
 16. The device of claim 7, further comprisinga moisture separator configured to separate moisture at the suctiondevice, wherein the moisture separator is disposed on the outlet. 17.The device of claim 7, wherein the suction device comprises anextraction fan.
 18. The device of claim 7, wherein the suction deviceand the outlet valve are disposed on different lines.